The 2012 Romanian protests were a series of protests and civil manifestations triggered by the introduction of new health reform legislation. In particular, President Traian Băsescu criticized the Deputy Minister of Health, Raed Arafat, on a Romanian television broadcast. The protests became violent, with both protesters and members of the Gendarmerie sustaining injuries during their clashes.
On the morning of 5 February 2012, Prime Minister Emil Boc announced his resignation because of the protests. He said that his decision would release the tension in the country's political and social situation. Protests, on a lesser scale, continued in University Square in Bucharest. The protesters demanded the president's resignation and early general elections. There were ongoing protests in Romania in subsequent months over a variety of disagreements.
Causes of January protests
Parliamentary legislation of 2010 In 2010, in the recession of the late 2000s, the Boc government, with the support of president Traian Băsescu, imposed a series of tax increases and cuts in public sector wages and social benefits. "Legile privind reducerea cu 25% a salariilor bugetarilor şi recalcularea pensiilor, publicate în MO." Gândul 30 June 2010. Accessed 16 January 2012. "Presa de azi: Boc taie pensii şi salarii sau nu le dă deloc." Ziare. 21 May 2010. Accessed 16 January 2012. Boc also imposed a new labour code, which was informed by multinational corporations and business representatives such as the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce, "Dezbaterile "Adevărul": Codul Muncii, un pas uriaş spre capitalism." Bechir, Mariana. Adevărul 4 March 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012. the major Romanian trade unions, and some employers' organizations. "Sindicatele reiau mâine protestele legate de Codul Muncii." Evenimentul Zilei 6 March 2011. Accessed 16 January 2012. "De ce au trecut patronatele de partea sindicatelor în urma schimbării Codului Muncii." Bechir, Mariana. Adevărul 20 February 2011. Accessed 16 January 2012. At the time, the Boc government ruled by only a small majority and the parliamentary opposed all the new measures. Boc therefore used a special procedure provided by the Constitution of Romania to pass the new measures. "Într-o jumătate de mandat, Boc şi-a asumat răspunderea cât toţi ceilalţi premieri în 20 de ani de guvernare. Ce spun foştii prim-miniştri despre această practică" Ciobanu, Rodica and Sultănoiu, Marian. Gândul 6 April 2011. Accessed 16 January 2012.
Parliamentary legislation of 2011 In the last days of 2011, the government introduced a new healthcare bill. It would have reduced state funded health benefits, de-regulated the health insurance market, and privatised Romanian hospitals. "Ce ar fi adus noua lege a sănătăţii pentru pacienţi, medici şi industria asigurărilor?" Mixich, Vlad. Hotnews.ro 28 December 2011. Accessed 16 January 2012.
Objection by Raed Arafat One of the main objectors was the undersecretary, Raed Arafat, the founder of the "Mobile Service Emergency Resuscitation and Extrication" (SMURD) service, a public emergency service partially funded by private donations and partially by the government. His concern was the privatization of emergency services, which he believed would lead to the disappearance of the public service, as for-profit emergency service companies would have access to both private and public funds. "Raed Arafat despre reforma în sănătate şi acuzaţiile lui Traian Băsescu." Mixich, Vlad. Hotnews.ro. 6 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012. "Raed Arafat, despre noua lege: Misiunea salvării de vieţi, înlocuită de competiţia comercială." Mediafax 8 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012. President Băsescu criticised Arafat for his opposition. "Băsescu: Dacă este un duşman al apariţiei a încă unui sistem privat de sănătate, el este Raed Arafat." Mediafax. 21 December 2011. Accessed 16 January 2012. On 9 January 2012, in a phone call to a TV talk show, Băsescu suggested Arafat leave the Cabinet. "T. Băsescu s-a războit cu Raed Arafat în direct la TV: "Nu e de acord, pleacă!"" Deleanu, Valentina. Adevărul 9 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012. Arafat resigned the following day, citing the main reason as the need for a fair criticism of the healthcare bill from outside the government. "Raed Arafat şi-a dat demisia: "Nu se poate susţine ca eu sunt împotriva sistemului." Deleanu, Valentina. Adevărul 10 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012. On 10 January, in Bucharest, Arafat and SMURD met to unite in opposition. "Bucharest protest in solidarity for Raed Arafat." Antena3.ro On 11 January, an Arafat-SMURD solidarity meeting was held in Cluj-Napoca in the north-west. "Raed Arafat susţinut de tineri la Cluj." Stan, Daniela. Adevărul. 11 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012.
SMURD demonstrations On 12 January 2012, demonstrations grew in size and spread to Târgu Mureş, the base of SMURD. There, 1,500 to 4,000 people took part in a march organised with the help of the social networking site, "Facebook". "SMURD, extremă urgenţă! Proteste de solidaritate cu Raed Arafat în toată ţar." Burtescu, Alin. Puterea 13 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012. As well as supporting SMURD, the marches also started to call for the resignation of Băsescu. "Miting de susţinere pentru Raed Arafat: 1.500 de oameni au ieşit în stradă la Târgu Mureş." Mediafax. 12 January 2012. Accessed 16 January 2012.
Băsescu On 13 January 2012, in the evening, president Băsescu held a press conference and asked for the bill to be quashed, citing resistance from the populace. He also criticised those opposing the bill for cronyism. The health minister Ladislau Ritli, acquiesced. "Ministrul Ritli a retras legea Sănătăţii, la cererea preşedintelui Băsescu." Lica, Cristina. Evenimentul Zilei. 13 March 2011. Accessed 16 January 2012. Despite these actions, protests continued.
Course of the protests
First phase On 12 January 2012, a non-violent protest was held in Târgu Mureș to express solidarity with the SMURD founder, Raed Arafat. People gathered in the center of Târgu Mureș moved on the march towards the SMURD headquarters, blocking traffic, and demonstrators were joined by several hundred people, so that their number reached approximately 3,000."SMURD revolution starts in Târgu Mureș! Over 3,000 people demanded the resignation of Băsescu!" , Adevărul.ro Several petitions had drawn up on social networking websites, these having hundreds of thousands, even millions of upholders."Petition: Raed Arafat must participate in the new health law!" , Realitatea.net
On 13 January 2012, in the evening, a rally was held at the University Square, in Bucharest to support Arafat. At around 19:00 local time, protesters marched towards the Cotroceni Palace. The number of demonstrators increased to about 2,000."Protest at Cotroceni. Anti-presidential manifestations in Bucharest, Brașov, Timișoara and Sibiu" , Gândul.info Other large anti-presidential manifestations were organized in Bucharest, Brașov, Timișoara and Sibiu. No meeting was authorized.
On 14 January 2012, protesters rallied at University Square and outside the gates of Cotroceni Palace. To avoid clashes, protective fences were installed. Around 18:00 local time, protesters blocked the Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard. After the intervention of gendarmes, Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard was cleared and people were pushed to the sidewalk."Anti-Băsescu protests in Bucharest. Gendarmes dispersed demonstrators in University Square. Dozens of people were arrested" , Gândul.info
Around 20:50 local time, protesters threw stones at the gendarmes. The Gendarmerie and police officers used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators."Violent protests in Bucharest! Gendarmes sent people home, after they threatened to use force", Antena3.ro
Ambulance Bucharest and SMURD crews intervened for medical care to 20 people. Of these, five were gendarmes. Likewise, an operator of Antena 3 was injured during the protests, after being hit by a brick thrown into the melee. Gendarmes picked up 29 protesters, after they threw blunt objects and have disturbed public order."Violent protests in Bucharest. Hundreds of gendarmes intervened in force to disperse the demonstrators" , Jurnalul.ro"University Square, the most violent protests from mineriads. Gendarmes accused that the pro-Arafat meeting turned into a fight of football ultras", HotNews.ro
On 15 January 2012, the demonstrations continued. From the early morning, protesters gathered in the squares of Romania's main cities. They waved Romanian flags cut in the middle (the symbol of the 1989 Romanian Revolution). They called for early elections. The Social Liberal Union (USL) (the parliamentary opposition coalition) demanded an extraordinary plenary meeting of the parliament.
In the mid afternoon, about one hundred people, mostly former revolutionaries, gathered in Victory Square, Timişoara, to protest. The meeting was authorized and was scheduled to end at 17:00, when supporters of football team Poli Timişoara were expected to arrive in the square. An elderly man chanting in favor of Băsescu was escorted by the gendarmes from the area. "Protests in Timişoara" During the night, most protesters at University Square maintained a non-violent stance, while smaller groups tried to destroy police barricades.CNN IReport. Ireport.cnn.com. Accessed 17 January 2012. Some allege manipulation of the demonstrations (for example, the police intentionally allowing hooligan activity) for political reasons. In Iaşi's Union Square, a meeting of solidarity with Arafat was organised by the Iaşi National Liberal Party's (PNL) youth organization. They were joined by others who gathered in Palace of Culture Square. "Third day of protests in several cities across Romania" Tele'M.ro.
Elias Bucurica, a member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR), which supported the government was seen at a demonstration. Gandul.info – Şoc in Bucuresti surpriza din aceste imagini. Pictures of Bucurica at a UNPR rally supporting Neculai Ontanu, Bucharest 2nd District mayor, were published on 19 October 2010. "Puterea exclusive: Huligan interzis pe stadioane, şef de galerie la partidul generalului Oprea. Cum s-a făcut alianţă între Dinamo şi Steaua" Pictures of Bucurica at the launch of USP (UNPR's center-left political platform) were published on 21 December 2011.Kamikaze . "Ultrașii Uniunii Social-Progresiste au fost coordonați de șeful galeriei Dinamo" It is alleged that demonstrators vandalised a route from Union Square to Tineretului Park (the largest park in Bucharest's 4th District).
Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of the 4th District had resigned from office in the Conservative Party (PC), (part of USL) and intended to contest the mayoral election as a UNPR candidate. Piedone later said, We should not turn this case into a political one and parties that want to profit from these events will probably have to explain themselves.
Gabriel Oprea, Defense Minister in the Boc Government and president of UNPR said, It is pure demagogy, there is no connection between the people that were there and UNPR.
George Becali, owner of Steaua Bucharest football club, stated that among the hooligans involved in the events, there were Steaua Bucharest ultras led by Catalin Zisu, a general in the Ministry of National Defence of Romania. General Catalin Zisu declined to comment on Becali's allegations although he might have known about them.Infomondo.ro "General mapn şi oficial UNPR implicaţi în actele de huliganism din București?"
Small groups of ultras were led by Tararache Marius, Țintă Claudiu from Dinamo Bucharest and Denescu Alexandru Mihai from Steaua Bucharest. On 17 January 2012, Mihai Capatana was arrested for 29 days for vandalism in connection with the events.